'We are ready to die in our home' - Imo family vows as govt invades ancestral land

The Nkwazema clan of Nekede, Owerri West Local Government Area in Imo State, have vowed to risk their lives to safeguard their ancestral land from what they claim is a government invasion. The local residents claim that some government officials, led by the Governor's Special Adviser on Monitoring and Compliance, Nze Chinasa Nwaneri, barged into their land with armed security personnel and forcefully removed the current occupants.

Felix Uchenna Ihemeze Nkwazema, speaking on behalf of the affected family, alleged that Nwaneri ordered a group of young men, believed to be troublemakers, to demolish houses and other structures on the land, which they assert has always been theirs. Nkwazema expressed surprise at how swiftly Nwaneri and his supposed cohorts began constructing fences once their properties had been destroyed.

He suggested that Nwaneri had even mapped out the family's ancestors' graves and proceeded to fence the land, which he claimed covered over ten plots with residential dwellings.

Nkwazema emphasized that no government representative, including Nwaneri, had approached the family about seizing their land or offered any form of financial compensation. He stressed that the family had owned the land for generations and that there had never been any indication from the government about a desire to acquire it. Even if the government had expressed interest, there is a formal procedure that was not followed.

Nkwazema also questioned why the government would suddenly decide to displace citizens and seize a home occupied by still-living relatives, which they claim was documented in the Owerri City survey-plan as belonging to the family since 1943.

The family has promised to pursue every legal avenue to ensure their rights are respected. They denounced the manner in which one of their brothers was allegedly detained and the frequent shootings that forced residents to flee in fear. Nkwazema, speaking for the family, urged the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, and other pertinent authorities to intervene and cease Nwaneri's actions on their ancestral land.

The Nkwazema family maintains that their land has never been disputed, and they were never informed or consulted by the Imo State Government regarding its supposed acquisition. They lamented being left homeless and anxious as Nwaneri and his followers rendered them destitute. Attempts to contact Nwaneri and other relevant government officials yielded no response when this report was filed.

The family declared, "We are ready to die in our home" as they stand firm against the government's invasion.